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Retaliation is about getting even. Rather than relying on the state for help, some victims take the law into their own hands. To some, retaliation is morally justified. To others, however, retaliation is wrong and its curtailment is a primary justification for the formation of governments and their duty to legislate, investigate, and punish deviance. Indeed, many acts of retaliation are defined and treated as criminal. For example, some homicides, rip-offs, burglaries, and property damage are vigilante actions, meaning criminal retaliation. Yet an irony of vigilantism is that—in the long...

Retaliation is about getting even. Rather than relying on the state for help, some victims take the law into their own hands. To some, retaliation is morally justified. To others, however, retaliation is wrong and its curtailment is a primary justification for the formation of governments and their duty to legislate, investigate, and punish deviance. Indeed, many acts of retaliation are defined and treated as criminal. For example, some homicides, rip-offs, burglaries, and property damage are vigilante actions, meaning criminal retaliation. Yet an irony of vigilantism is that—in the long run—it might actually reduce crime. Moreover, retaliation seems to occur most where governments inadequately control crime in the communities they are supposed to serve and protect. The above conceptualizations and theories are among the reasons that retaliation, including vigilantism, is a fascinating topic of study.